Shorunmu advises Rohr to create level playing field for goalkeepers

Former Super Eagles Goalkeepers’ Trainer, Ike Shorunmu has urged the national team manager, Gernot Rohr to give all the invited goalkeepers for the Russia 2018 World Cup preparations equal chance to prove their worth ahead of the world football showpiece. He added that department would be best served if Rohr did not pick any of them as his number one choice for the position.

Shorunmu posits that allowing a particular goalkeeper to know he is the first choice of the team ahead of a major championship would psychologically weigh down the others’ performance in training. 

The Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup goalkeeper also explained that the present keepers active in their various clubs, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and likely Dele Ajiboye are the only hands available to jostle for the number one spot in the Super Eagles at this moment, saying that all the goal tenders should be encouraged to get the best from them. 

“It is dangerous to create the impression that a particular goalkeeper is the number one because the others need to be active and build self confidence at the same time ahead of the championship.

“You should also understand that Ezenwa, Uzoho, Akpeyi and now Ajiboye are the active keepers now and they should be made to work hard to get first team shirt. Assuming Ajiboye was not trained at the same pace with Ezenwa, he would have lacked the confidence to come in when Ezenwa sustained injury in the CHAN Championship.

“Anything can happen in football. Every keeper in the Eagles team must be trained to be at his best in case circumstances like injury hits any of the others. To get the best keeper, the coaches have to announce the first choice goalkeeper two days before the World Cup,” he said.